Originally Dr. Peterson owned the 1300+ acre (2+ square mile) land that became the Florida Caverns State Park. He intended to develop one of the many caves that run beneath the park. Things did not turn out as planned however, and so he donated the land to the State of Florida. The Civilian Conservational Corp (CCC) were then called in to develop the newly owned land to turn it into a State Park and develop one of the caves for touring.

In 1937, the present day touring cave was discovered. After a lot work the newly discovered cave was opened in April of 1942. This limestone cave is the principal reason for the Park’s existence. The tours run daily from 9am till 4pm 7 days a week (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas). The guided tours last up to one hour.

In addition to the caves there are many other fun activities to do and explore in the park:

There are many trails in the park for hiking.

There are stables for horses. The park has two horse trails.

The Chipola River runs through the park, which allows for canoeing and kayaking. If you do not own your own canoe or kayak the Gift Shop does rent them.